Telstra Research Insights
A customer portal focused on self learning and discovery
Executive Summary
Telstra’s Business and Enterprise sector realised a gap in the market for their current medium to large businesses to be able to self-teach and better utilise self-learning.A collection of articles, videos, podcasts, events and community discussions from various unbiased sources mixed in with a range of updates and product selling was the initial thought behind the project.
In a team starting off as 7, we were asked to build out a portal for customers to be able to access which could help them to view their overall Telstra package, find out about relevant upgrades and industry standards, as well as a place to share articles, white-papers, events and other mediums to better educate themselves and their staff and potentially build a community around how to best utilise Telstra as a whole.
Accomplishments
Successful Development and Internal Validation of an MVP Customer Portal
The project successfully progressed from initial discovery through ideation and prototyping to deliver a functional Minimum Viable Product (MVP2). This portal enabled customers to view, share, and comment on diverse media, addressing a market gap for self-learning and discovery.
Validated the Critical User Need for Self-Learning through Customer Research
A key accomplishment was the user-centered validation of the primary user need. Through interviews with eight customers across various industries, the team definitively confirmed that self-learning was the most crucial aspect for users in the Business and Enterprise sector, directly informing the core focus and design decisions of the MVP2.
Established a Structured and Iterative UX Design Process
The project successfully implemented a clear, structured UX design process encompassing distinct phases: Discovery, Ideation, Prototyping, and Testing. This systematic approach, which included rapid paper prototypes, low-fidelity wireframes, mood boards, and competitive analysis, provided a robust framework for product development and established a methodical approach that can be leveraged for future iterations and projects.
1. Discovery
A discovery phase was undertaken between myself, data analysts and a back end coding team to realise this portal. Over 2 sprints (4 weeks) we came up with a minimum viable product which was presented to internal stakeholders. A second round of funding was granted and we undertook, adding another 5 to the team, and a MVP2 was defined.
2. Ideation
MVP2 had a range of functionality, authentication and discovery prerequisites added as well as the first customer engagement. We interviewed a total of 8 customers from a range of industries to prove the need for this tool.
From here I made multiple rapid paper prototypes, as well as mood boards and discovery of competition documents. We found that the most important area for the user was the self-learning aspect of the tool and decided to focus on this aspect.
3. Prototype
The prototypes started off as paper and eventually became low fidelity wire frames which was presented to the team and internal stakeholders for approval. Having the entire team in these sessions helped as the different dev teams were able to throw out blockers and give us a better understanding of timelines, authentication and accessibility.
4. Test
The next stage of the product was developed into a portal in which customers are able to view, share and comment on a range of media from both internal and external, including articles, white papers, videos, events, community discussions. As well as this more social portal, we made viewing pages for market comparison, subscriptions, products, usage and a range of profile possibilities. Users were then interviewed after having free range to the tool for 2 weeks. We got great feedback and made our updates for eventual release.
5. Release
The tool has been parked and waiting for a 3rd round of funding due to the next stage being a massive undertaking of community forums and more machine learning. Hopefully in the next few months this will kick off again, the current site is only for a select group of users currently.
